Alabama Christian Academy students have raised more than $31,000 this school year for the American Heart Association through their annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser. ACA teacher Patti Turner has led the effort for two decades.

She says the reason the students work so hard to help the AHA is that so many families at the school have been impacted by the disease.

"When you begin to talk about people that have heart problems almost every student has a story of a friend, family member, or neighbor who has been affected by heart disease," Turner said. "The elementary has conducted a Jump Rope for Heart event since 1994. We started the Jump Rope for Heart event because the physical education teachers had an interest in helping improve the health of the students through jumping rope, and to motivate the students to serve others."

She said the school stresses helping others through service, and the yearly campaign gives ACA's students an opportunity to live that out. And like a good teacher, Turner knows how to make the whole endeavor fun.

"We motivate the students by having pep rallies, dress-up days, lock-ins, and prizes for the top money raisers," she said. "It is very easy for the students to get motivated when they personally know someone who has been affected by heart disease. We have had three elementary students this year who have had to wear a heart monitor because of an irregular heartbeat."

She said ACA also invites people in to talk with students about their heart problems as a way to make the campaign even more important.

"We invite guests to our event who have been helped by trained heart professionals or had to visit a heart facility to get help for their heart problem. For example, a retired elementary teacher who had bypass heart surgery, and a 1-year-old baby who has already had several heart surgeries. The students can see that their money is going to help other people," Turner said.

Personally, both of Turner's grandparents were affected by congestive heart failure, and she has friends whose children were born with heart problems.

"I have had several close friends at church who have had bypass heart surgery," she said.

ACA has been doing the Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser for more than 20, said Heather Pulse, marketing director for the school.

Turner has spearheaded the effort since the beginning. The event this year at ACA will be held on Feb. 27 in the Wares Ferry Road school's main gym.

Turner is a graduate a graduate of ACA, as well as her parents, husband and children. She is proud of the school and how the children have worked hard year after year to help the AHA.

"We had 43 students raise over $300, and 61 students raise $200 or more and 111 students $100 or more," she said. "This year was 15 straight years for the ACA students to be the number one school in the state of Alabama for the American Heart Association Jump Rope For Heart Program. "

The exact money total will be announced at 11:45 a.m. and the K-2nd graders will jump at 12:15. "We would be glad for people to come in at any time prior to or during the event to donate. People can donate in either school office to the attention of Patti Turner," Pulse said.